Instant Palak (Spinach) Dhokla / Healthy Spinach Dhokla is spongy, soft, moist, and delicious. Palak Dhokla is another version of the famous Gujarati Instant Khaman Dhokla. It is a perfect breakfast to start the day with or for the in-between snack of the day. We can even serve this Dhokla as a healthy starter for the party or get together. It is healthy, protein-packed, and nutritious with spinach and chickpea flour.
Instant Palak (Spinach) Dhokla / Healthy Spinach Dhokla:
Dhokla is an inseparable part of the Gujarati menu in the Gujarati families. And as a Gujarati, I am no exception. We have varieties of Dhokla, and I love all of them.
But instant Khaman Dhokla is my most favorite. It is deliciously soft and spongy, and moreover, they are easy and quick to make.
So I have made the traditional Khaman Dhokla with an exciting and healthy twist. Adding spinach does not make any difference in the Dhokla’s deliciousness, but it makes it more nutritious.
What Do We Need For Instant Palak Dhokla:
We need very few ingredients for this recipe, and they are most readily available in our pantry. Even if you are not an Indian, these ingredients should be in your pantry, too, because this dish is not only vegetarian but is vegan and gluten-free as well.
Even though this recipe is simple and straightforward, it is important to measure the ingredients correctly.
- Chickpea Flour: Chickpea flour is the base of the Dhokla. So good quality and as fresh as possible, chickpea flour is a must. This flour is very fine in texture and so is not free-flowing. There are usually small lumps of flour. And so, we need to break the lumps before starting the recipe. The best way is to sieve the flour. By sieving, we can not only break the lumps, but we can also aerate the flour. And that will ensure light and fluffy Dhokla.
- Sooji / Semolina: Sooji will help to make the Dhokla more soft and spongy. Use either fine variety or coarse; it really doesn’t matter.
- Spinach: I have used baby spinach for this recipe. But the regular spinach is also okay to use. Choose the spinach, which is fresh and tender. Do not use the spinach stems to make a puree.
- Fruit Salt (ENO): I like to use fruit salt to make Dhokla. That always guarantees fluffy and well rise Dhokla. We can use baking soda, but sometimes it gives red spots by reacting with lime juice.
- Spinach Puree: With 2 cups of tightly packed spinach leaves and half a cup of water, we can yield 1 & ¼ cups of puree. But if it is less, make sure to add more water to mark it up to 1 & ¼ cups. And if you get more spinach puree than needed, use only as much mentioned in the recipe.
Success Tips For Instant Palak (Spinach) Dhokla / Healthy Spinach Dhokla:
- Make sure to sieve the chickpea flour before using it in the recipe. The flour should be without any lumps. And so the batter should be smooth and lump-free.
- Steam Dhokla for only 10-12, do not overcook. Check the doneness by inserting the tip of the knife in the center.
Instant Palak (Spinach) Dhokla / Healthy Spinach Dhokla is:
- Protein-Packed and Nutritious
- Steamed, Soft, Spongy, Moist and Delicious
- Easy and Straightforward Recipe
- Done Under 30 Minutes
- Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free
- Perfect For Healthy Breakfast
- Great as a Party Appetizer or Tea Time Snack
Instant Palak Dhokla tastes as amazing as traditional Khaman Dhokla with added benefits. I hope you will enjoy this Healthy Spinach Dhokla as much as my family does.
If you like the recipe, and you make it, please leave your comment. But you can also easily rate the recipe in the recipe card below.
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Recipe Card
Instant Palak (Spinach) Dhokla / Healthy Spinach Dhokla
Video
Ingredients
For Palak Dhokla:
- 1 Cup chickpea flour ((Besan))
- 2 tablespoon Sooji ((Semolina))
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
- 2 Cups tightly packed spinach leaves
- ½ Cup water
- 1 teaspoon green chili paste
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoon fruit salt ((ENO))
For Tempering:
- 2 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 Green chili slitted
- 2 tablespoon water
- For Garnishing:
- Coriander leaves finely chopped
- Fresh coconut shredded ((Optional))
Instructions
For Palak Dhokla:
- Grease the thali or baking pan (8 – 9 inch diameter) with oil and set aside.
- Add 2-3 cups of water (quantity of water depends on steamer’s size) to the steamer and bring the water to boil.
- Sieve chickpea flour, and to this, add Sooji (Semolina), sugar, and salt. Whisk well and set aside.
- In a blender jar, take spinach leaves and ½ cup of water. Blend it into a fine puree. The puree should be 1 & ¼ cups; if it is less, add more water to make it 1 & ¼ cups.
- Add spinach puree, green chili paste, and lime juice to the flour mixture. Mix well into a smooth batter.
- Add fruit salt (ENO) to the batter and add few water drops on top of fruit salt. Mix it immediately and gently. Fruit salt should be mixed into the batter evenly. The batter will be almost double; pour it immediately into a greased thali or pan.
- Place the thali or pan in the steamer and cover. Steam the Palak Dhokla on medium to high heat for 10-12 minutes. Check the doneness of Dhokla by inserting a tester or tip of a knife in the center of Dhokla.
- Turn off the heat. After a minute, remove thali or pan from the steamer and set aside.
For Tempering:
- Heat oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds.
- After mustard seeds start crackling, add slitted green chili. Then add 2tbsp of water carefully and let it come to a boil. Turn off the heat.
- Spread this tempering mixture on Palak Dhokla evenly. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and fresh coconut.
- Slice Palak Dhokla into a desired shape and size. Serve it with ketchup or with your choice of chutney.
Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think.